IN
THE PRISONER: This location features in the episode "Do Not Forsake
Me Oh My Darling" and represents the interior of the offices of Number
Six's bosses. After Number Six (Nigel Stock) convinces his former colleagues
that he might be who he says he is, he and Villiers (James Bree) take a ride
in the Paternoster Lift and, upon disembarking, are allowed through a set of
double doors by Potter (Frederic Abbot). After a meeting with his boss, Sir
Charles Portland (John Wentworth), Number Six travels in the lift a second time
before returning home. The exterior of the building is not seen in the series.

IN REALITY: The building is GEC-Marconi Ltd, Elstree Way, Borehamwood
- a Research Centre for Defence Software. Alas the Paternoster Lift was boarded
up, never to be used again, in 2001.

LOCATION
& PHOTO REPORT: On Saturday 2 February 1991 Steven Ricks, Kieron
McAleer and Andrew Staton organised an event in Borehamwood called The Priz
Conference. It included an exclusive visit to the GEC-Marconi Building, famous
of course in Prisoner circles as the location of the paternoster lift filmed
for use in the episode Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling.

Not only was access to this high security building obtained for the occasion
- no mean task in view of the defence work carried out there - but those lucky
few who attended were actually allowed to ride the lift itself. Those familiar
with the concept will know that the contraption involves a continuously moving
chain of open compartments that move slowly in a loop inside of the building
without stopping, allowing passengers who are agile enough to step on or off
at the appropriate floor.

Surprisingly the party were given a free run of the lift area (although they
were requested to respect the security of the building). With special guest
and guide James Bree (Villiers from the episode) the group had great fun hopping
on and off the lifts and astonishingly, given their inexperience, managed to
survive the experience without mishap.

The
photos presented here show James Bree coolly demonstrating his prowess at stepping
off the lift while a group of Prisoner fans (Dave and Julie Jones, Joanne Healey
and Julie Jones, Bill Colquhoun and a beheaded Peter Dunn!) are seen gleefully
riding. Lew Stringer, perhaps sensibly, appears to be checking out the situation
before taking the plunge with Kate Foy, while ex Number Six editor Howard Foy
appears traumatised by the experience!

Amazingly Lew, who is seen loitering outside of the restricted Microwave Defence
Systems area, was not arrested, nor was the cameraman who I'm sure was not supposed
to be taking photos of the Airborne Early Warning Radar area (authorised personnel
only)!

Whilst the
lift used in "The Prisoner", as mentioned above, is no longer in service,
there are several working examples of Paternoster lifts throughout Europe, especially
in Germany and Austria. However, there are also still examples in the UK, including
one at Northwick Park Hospital in London, and at the University of Essex in
Colchester, which is shown in the below photos kindly provided by Mitch Nozka.

The building,
and lift, was demolished completely in 2012 (image below).

With
additional thanks to Philip Lamdin and SR for the additional Lift information.
More details on Paternoster lifts can be found HERE
(thanks to Jill Mills for the link).You can find photos of working paternoster-lifts
in Europe ("Fotoliste laufender Paternoster") and information about
not working or demolished paternoster-lifts ("Stillgelegt/abgerissen")
at the following Website: http://www.flemming-hamburg.de